Engine.



G. H. POSTER.

ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 17. 1912.

Patented Decf15, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

-D MK k3 JE/Enmn f/ZiEESES G. H. FOSTER.

ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED 001217.1912,

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

[M55555 7/52/522/02' WW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLAUD H. FOSTER, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

ENGINE.

To all whom it mag/ concern Be it known that I, CLAUT) Hr Fos'rna, a citizen of the United States. residing at Cleveland. in the county, of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio. have invented a certain nen and useful Improvement in Engines. of

which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines particularly of the type employed in connection with automobiles,

although many of the features thereof can 7 e eiii'ployed to advantage. in connection with boat engines and other installations.

The, ob ects of the invention are the provision of an engine having a frame of mini-- mumwveight and'niaxinium strength; the provision of an engine wherein 'tllG'POSSlbility of relative movement between the cylinclers and the crank shaft is entirely, absent; the provision of an engine having the cylinders, crank case, and lubricating'cha nber formed as an integral casting; the provision of an engine wherein the water pump,

magneto, etc, together with their shaft, are

carried on a single plate so as to be removable from the remainder of the engine as .a whole and without dismounting; the. provision of a. new and improved form of sus pension for engines of this type whereby the crank shaft may be-maintained -in proper alinement with the remaining rotative parts of the vehicle. and with a minimum of strain on thecrank case; the provision of an engine which can be assembled. inspected, and repaired with greater facility than other engines now in use; while further obiects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this application I have illustrated one form which my invention may take, although it will be understood that for purposes of illustration, the invention being equally applicable whether a smaller.

or larger number of cylinders employed,

Specification of Letters Tatent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

Application filed October 17, 1912. Serial No. 726,299.

and Fig. 2 is a, left-hand elevation of the same, the fly wheel being omitted.

Describing the parts by reference characters, A represents generally what I will term the body part of my improved engine, B theliead part and C the plate part. The body part consists of a single hollow casing, the lower portion thereofbeing formed as an interiorly unobstructed elongated chaniher having upright parallel ends 1, 1 and a semi-cylindrical bottom .2, 2 connecting said ends. Each of the endplates 1, 1 is formed withv an aperture substantially concentric with the semi-cylindrical bottom and constructed for the reception of a bearing plate wherein the crank shaft is journaled. The side of this casing which faces toward the right in the construction illustrated in 'Fig. 2- (which side will hereafter for purposes of convenience be referred to as the front side of the casing) is left entirely open, the edges of the aperture so formed lying preferably in a single plane which plane is, in this embodiment, substantially vertical as indicated at 3 in Fig. 2. The rear side of the casing is completed by :i'substantially flat wall portion 4: which preferably slopes inwardly from the point of tangency with the semi-cylindrical bottom above described to the-portion of the hody wherein are formed the engine cylinders. These cylinders are formed as vertical cylindrical apertures located at longitudinally spaced points throughout the length of the portion 5 of the body part A, said aper- I tures being strictly perpendicular to the axis of the semi-cylindrical portion 2- and inpractice, said outlet valves communicating with an outlet manifold 8 formed integral with the forward side of the casting and terminating in an attaching flange 9. The opposite or rear side of the casting is formed for the reception of the inlet pipe 10 whereby explosive mixture is conveyed to theen gine, the part of the casting between the cylinders being formed with suitable ports (not shown) as will be well understood by those skilled in the art, this water space being also in communication with a nipple 13 whereto may be connected the hose or other connection leading to the radiator. The head part is secured to the body part by means of suitable bolts 1 1 and is also provided with suitable apertures receiving spark plugs 15 in the usual manner.

Secured to the rear end of the body part A and covering the aperture therein is a transversely dlvided circular plate, the lower half thereof being indicated at 1.8 and the upper half at 19. The part 18 is provided on its outer face with a projecting. upwardly-opening, semi-cylindrical bearing memberQ-O, while the part 19 is provided with a similar, mating bearing member 21 complementary to the member 20 and secured thereto by means of'bolts 22. Secured to the opposite end of the crank casing and covering the aperture therein is a circular plate 23 similar in all respects to the plate 18, 19, excepting that it is made in a single piece. This plate carries on its outer face an integral projecting cylindrical bearing Qat alined with the bearing formed by the members 20, 21. Journaled in these bearings is the usual crank shaft 25 having at its rearward end'the usual'fly-wheel 26 and having its forward end extending through the bearing, as at 27, where it may be connected to the usual radiator fan (not shown).

Journaled in a suitable bearing 28 carried by therearward end plate 1 is a lay-shaft shown in dotted lines at 29, and carrying a gear wheel 30 meshing with the usual gear wheel 31 carried by the crank shaft. This lay shaft is mounted substantially parallel with the crank shaft and above and at one side of the same, being preferably spaced substantially directly beneath the outlet valves and carrying the cams whereby the same are operated. The forward end of this lay shaft projects through the forward casing plate into a pump casing 32 andis journaled in a bearing 33 carried by the, outer Wall of this caslng, the shaft being provided with suitable blades (not shown) whereb an oil pump is formed. The intake si e of this pump is put into communication with the interior of the semi-cylind-ical bottom Qby means of a pipe 34, while 'or universal joint 48.

the discharge side thereof is connected to the crank shaft bearings bypipes 34* and to any other parts which require forced lubrication.

By referring to Fig.2 it will be seen that this lay shaft 29 is mounted immediately within the opening defined by the edges 3 so that the same together with all the cams thereon and theassociated parts are innue- 'diatel v accessible for purposes of repair,

pump casing and of the gear casing being formed with journal boxes 38 and 39 respectively. Mounted within these boxes is a rotatable jackshaft 40 having at the end within the casing 39 a gear 41 meshing with the gear 30*. The casing of the pump is connected by means of a suitable duct 42 with the intake connection of the cylinder water-jacket, the other side of the pump being provided with a conduit connection 43 to which is secured the pipe iileading from the radiator. Mounted upon the bracket or shelf 37 is the magneto -15, held in place in any suitable manner, as by the clip 46, and having a shaft 47 insubstantial alinenient with the shaft 40 and connected thereto by means preferably of a flexible The magneto may also carry a timing box 4.9 as is customary in such cases. Part of the plate 35 is also illustrated as furnished with a hollow funnel-shaped connection 50 provided with a cap 51 which at the same time provides a filling opening, whereby lubricant may be supplied to the crank case, and a breatheroutlet whereby variations in the internal pressure of the crank case may be compensated. In the present embodiment I have illustrated the side of the crank case immediately above the plate 35 as formed with a pair of spaced, oblong openings covered by plates 5252 whereby access may be permitted to the stems of the valves. This is the preferred construction, although it is obvious that these plates could with equal facility be made as extensions from the plate 35. Owing tothe-fact that access to these stemsis needed more frequently than access to the rest of the crank case, it is preferred that these plates be separate so as to necessitate the smallest possible amount of manipulation.

Even if itbe necessary to obtain access to the interior of the crank case, it is not necessary to unship the main crank shaft as is in any way to disturb the adjustment of the, engine.

permitted to the interior of theengine witbout the necessity of assumingfian awkward or inconvenient position or without the difficulty and necessity of working in-zthe darkas in most other engines.

to remove the piston, the head part 'B can be removed, the pitmen disconnected from the crank shaft, and the pistons immediately withdrawn through the upper end of the cylinders.

For the purpose of supporting my improved engine, I provide the bearing member QOwith a pair of laterally projecting integral arms (i0. (30 forming together a bracket having downturned feet 61, 61. The bearing 2. is likewise formed with laterally projecting arms having similar feet 03. Both pairs of. feet are supported upon-cross beams U4, (5% supported at opposite sides of the vehicle. In the present case, since the vehicle in question is an automobile, the beams Get, 6% are formed with up wardly deflected ends 65, 65 whose upper ends are secured to the side sills 6B of the chassis. In case the vehicle in question were a boat a similar mode'of suspension would be employed as is obvious. The advantages of this mode of suspension are numerous. The bearings carrying the main shaft being secured to cross beams'of the chassis similarly to, the transmission gear and propeller shaft, the same are efficiently maintained in alinemcnt; the weight and stress of the crank shaft being carried immediately by the frame work of the car, thisload is taken olf the engine frame, therefore permitting the same to be made light andless naled' to aheavier and more rigidpart of the machine.

In assembling this engine the plate 23 with its bearing A is first secured to the forward end of the casing after which the crank shaft, naked except for the gear 31, is inserted through the aperture in thev rear end of the casing and the forward end of the crank shaft introduced into the aperture in the bearing 2 The plate \18 with its half bearing 20 may now be applied and after that the plate 19 with its half bearing 21, the same being suitably. secured to the casing and to each other. be introduced into the upper end ojf'the cylinders (the head part B being still removed} crank shaft.

If it be desired The pistons can now and their pitmen suitably connected to the The inlet and outlet valves may also be introduced through the tops of their respective chambers and arranged in connection with their respective cams. The

mode of applying the head part and plate .part will be obvious without further description.

By the construction described herein the engine is supported at points where the greatest strain ordinarily exists and the crank case is entirely relieved of the strain due to the suspension; A further and very important advantage in convenient assem bhng and disassembling s well as in cheapness ofconstruction is secured by mounting the subsidiary mechanism (jack shaft, pump, magneto, etc.) on the removableside plate. This side plate furnishes a base whereon these parts may be truly and accurately assembled in position to cooperate with the driving parts within the crank case. Thereafter, by merely bolting the cover plate in place, the mechanism carried and assembled thereby is brought into operative relation to the cooperating driving mechanism within the case.

IVhile I have described my invention in connection with an automoble engine, it is obvious that many of its features will be of equal advantage in connection with launch engines or other power sources, wherefore I desire it'to be understood thatI esteem all such uses to fall within the scope of my invention. Likewise while I have necessarily described my invention in detail, I do not propose to be limited to such details, except as the same may be positively included in the claims hereto annexed orfmay berendered necessary by the prior state of the art.-

Having thus described my in enti'on what I claim is:

1. In an internal combustion-engine, the combination, with a vertically extending cylinder and a crank case therebencath, said case having one side thereof provided with an opening extending substantially the length of the case and thebottom of said opening beingabove'tl'ie bottom of the case, of a crank shaft in said case, a lay shaft 'journaled in said case adjacent to the said Y'shaft and thelay shaft within the crank .case.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination, with. a vertically extending cylinder and a crank case therebeneath, said crank case having in one side and above the bottom thereof an opening and the side edges of said opening being in a substantially vertical plane, of a crank shaft in said case, a lay shaft journaled in said case and extending across and adjacent to said opening, a cover plate for said opening, bearings earriedby the cover plate, a jack shaft journaled in said bearings, a driving connection between the crank shaft and the lay shaft,

intermeshing gears on said lay shaft and on said jack shaft, subsidiary mechanism mounted-on the cover plate, driving connections between said mechanism and said jack shaft, and means for detachably securing the cover plate and both the attached shaft and mechanism to the crank case.

3. In an. internal combustion engine, the combination, with a vertically extending cylinder and a crank case therebeneathhaving a substantially semi-cylindrical bottom and provided in one of its sides, above such bottom, with an opening extending substan-- tially' the length of said side, of a crank shaft in said case, a lay shaft in said base adjacent to said opening, means for driving the lay shaft from the-crank shaft, a cover plate removably applied to the opening in cylinder and a crank case therebeneathpr'ovided in one of its sides, above its bottom, with an opening'extendingsubstantially the length of said side, of a crank shaft in said case, 'a lay shaft in said case adjacent to said from the crank shaft, a cover plate removably applied to the opening in the side of the crank case, bearings projecting outwardly from said cover plate, a jack shaft "opening, means for driving the lay shaft mounted in said bearings, intermeshing gears on the jack and lay shafts, subsidiary .mechanism mounted on the outer side of the cover plate, and a driving connection between such mechanism and the jack shaft.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GLAUD H. FOSTER.

Witnesses J. B. HULL, BRENNAN B. VVEsT. 

